Main Post Office

FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT MAIN POST OFFICE - PAGE 4

Six decades ago, Chicagoans hailed it as a granite and marble monolith of mail delivery, the largest post office on Earth. Now, it's an almost-dead letter office. The main Chicago post office, which spans eight lanes of the Eisenhower Expressway, will soon give way to computers, scanners and one of the most modern mail facilities on the planet. The U.S. Postal Service is pressing on with construction of the new main post office on Polk and Canal Streets, just south of the existing facility.

City officials are negotiating financial help for conversion of the old Main Post Office into a mixed-use complex with hotel rooms, office space and condominiums. The Community Development Commission last month approved up to $51 million in tax increment financing for the project at 401-39 W. Van Buren St., 401-433 and 501-535 S. Canal St. and 402-436 W Harrison St. Walton Street Capital LLC, the developer under contract to buy the 2.5 million-square-foot building from the U.S. Postal Service, has been negotiating for TIF assistance for the $309 million project, according to Kathy Caisley, the Chicago Department of Planning and Development project manager who spoke to commissioners.

Dorothy B. Stang, a longtime administrative liaison to the postmaster of Chicago, took on one of her most satisfying tasks every December when letters to Santa Claus poured into the post office. Mrs. Stang would see to it that as many letters as possible received replies. She also plucked out a couple for special treatment: After responding to those letters personally, she would surprise the families by delivering a Christmas meal and gifts for the children, all paid for by her. "She loved making the holidays happy, especially for children," said her daughter, Debra.

The old Chicago Post Office, a behemoth that spans the Eisenhower Expressway and two city blocks, is so large that developers have struggled for almost a decade to come up with a workable plan for the vacant space. On Thursday, 11 years after the U.S. Postal Service moved its operations to a newer facility nearby, the city's Plan Commission will consider a proposal to convert the building's 2.5 million square feet of empty space to a sprawling project of hotel rooms, offices and residences.

Postal worker Gwen Jones moves mail through the main post office Monday on Harrison Street in Chicago. Monday was expected to be the busiest mailing day of the year nationally. Postal officials advise customers to get first-class mail to post offices by Saturday to ensure delivery before Christmas.

Henry E. Kruger, 77, died Jan. 2 in South Chicago Community Hospital, Chicago. Mr. Kruger retired in 1979 after working for 25 years at Chicago's main post office. Survivors include his wife, Nadina; a son, Edward; and two grandchildren. Mass was said Wednesday.

A 62-year-old man was arrested last week at Chicago & Northwestern Transportation Co.'s rail depot, 20 N. Main St., after allegedly shouting obscenities, police said. James Baloun told police his address was a postal box at Chicago's main post office. He posted bond and was released after being charged with disorderly conduct.

A story in some editions of the Chicagoland/Du Page section of the March 1 Tribune reported incorrectly that a committee of the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commmission had deferred action on a proposal by the U.S. Postal Service to build a new main post office south of the Loop. The committee actually voted against the proposal, but its vote is only advisory. The Tribune regrets the error.

A package marked "radioactive materials" discovered by postal workers Friday at the main post office, at 433 W. Van Buren St., turned out to be a film container, according to Fire Department spokesman Scott LaGreca. Fire Department hazardous material specialists concluded that there was no radioactivity being emitted from the package, he said. When agents from the Nuclear Regulatory Agency arrived, the package was opened revealing the film container, LaGreca said.

Mass for James F. Cannon, 72, a retired post office supervisor, will be said at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in All Saints-St. Anthony Catholic Church, 518 W. 28th Pl. Mr. Cannon, of the Southwest Side, died Sunday in St. Joseph Hospital. Mr. Cannon, assigned to the main post office, retired in 1976 after more than 35 years. Survivors include his wife, Evelyn A.; two daughters, Judy Bedore and Kathy Tongrem; four grandchildren; three brothers; and a sister.